THINGS FALL APART

WHAT ARE WE READING? Things Fall Apart (TFA)

– It’s only 206 pages long Fun Facts About TFA

– Written by Chinua Achebe(pron. CHIN-wah AH-chay-BAY)

– Published in 1959 in response to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

THINGS FALL APART Story set in 1890 in Nigeria

THINGS FALL APART Location for story is

the Nigerian coast near Port Harcourt

Land of the Igbo tribe

Action takes place in villages of Umuofia and Mbanta

PLOT LINE Deals with a Nigerian tribe (Igbo)

that is colonized by British missionaries

As a result, the Igbo’s way of life begins to “fall apart”

Story examines one person’s life – Okonkwo’s – and his adjustment (or lack thereof) to the colonization efforts by the white Christians

POINT OF VIEW Story is seen through the eyes of

the Igbos– This was a big deal because usually

only heard about colonization from British writers, e.g., Conrad

Achebe does not use stereotypes to portray Africans nor white Europeans

MAIN CHARACTERS Okonkwo –

Protagonist. Clan leader of Umuofia. Despises father, thinks he’s lazy. Tragic flaw: he’s afraid to look weak like his father. As a result, he brings trouble & sorrow to him & his family

Nwoye – Okonkwo’s oldest son. Okonkwo thinks Nwoye is lazy like his Okonkwo’s father (Nwoye’s granddad). Nwoye converts to Christianity.

MAIN CHARACTERS Ikemefuna – a boy

given to Okonkwo by neighboring village. Becomes the son Okonkwo wishes he had. Okonkwo won’t show affection to Ikemefuna for fear of looking weak.

Ezinma – Okonkwo’s daughter by his 2nd wife. She is Okonkwo’s favorite child. She’s sickly. Okonkwo wishes Ezinma was a boy.

OKONKWO’S FAMILY TREE

Okonkwo’s THREE wives:

First wife – nameless. Mother of Nwoye & Obiageli

Ekewfi – 2nd wife. Village beauty. Ezinma’s mother

Ojiugo – 3rd & youngest wife. Mother of Nkechi.

Okonkwo’s Children: Nwoye – son Obiageli – daughter Ezinma – daughter Nkechi – daughter Ikemefuna –

“adopted” son

OTHER CHARACTERS Unoka – Okonkwo’s

father. Lazy, coward, spendthrift. Always in debt. Good musician, however.

Obierika – Okonkwo’s best friend.

Uchendu – Okonkwo’s uncle.

Mr. Brown – First white missionary. Respectful of tribe’s value system.

Rev. James Smith – Replaces Mr. Brown. Strict. Shows no respect for tribe’s way of life.

District Commissioner – Racist. In charge of white colonists in Nigeria.

Mr. Kiaga – Native who became Christian. Recruits Nwoye & others to Christianity.

Digression is one of Achebe's main tools. The novel is the story of Okonkwo's tragedy, but it is also a record of Igbo life before the coming of the white man. The novel documents what the white man destroyed. The reader learns much about Igbo customs and traditions; depicting this world is a central part of the novel.

Social disintegrationTowards the end of the novel, we witness the events by which Igbo society begins to fall

apart. Religion is threatened, Umuofia loses its self-determination, and the very centers of tribal life are threatened. These events are all the more painful for the reader because so much time has been spent in sympathetic description of Igbo life; the reader realizes that he has been learning about a way of life that no longer exists.

Greatness and ambition Okonkwo is determined to be a lord of his clan. He rises from humble beginnings to a

position of leadership, and he is a wealthy man. He is driven and determined, but his greatness comes from the same traits that are the source of his weaknesses. He is often too harsh with his family, and he is haunted by a fear of failure.

LITERARY DEVICES Themes

– Tradition vs. change– Definitions of masculinity– Language as sign of cultural

differences Symbols

– Locusts – Fire– Drums

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN READING

Let go & enjoy the story – Don’t sweat what you don’t understand– Keep reading, trust that it will make sense by

the end Don’t worry about pronouncing the names

correctly Relate the story to today – What other

cultures seem strange to us? What other cultures are we trying to change to be more “American”? How are we like the Igbos?

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN READING

Think about their ceremonies and figure out what similar ceremonies we have today

Psst…there’s a glossary in the back of the book– It explains the Igbo words– Use it! It will help your

comprehension– Trust me on this one…